Lightbourne: “It Was An Honour And A Privilege”
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Kyle Lightbourne said he was proud of his achievements as Bermuda coach and would have stayed on had he been offered a new contract.
The Bermuda Football Association opted to part ways with Lightbourne and his assistant Ray Jones on Wednesday following the team’s Concacaf Nations League campaign, where they finished third in Group B of League B.
When asked whether he wanted to continue at the helm, Lightbourne told Bernews: “Yes, of course.
“I threw everything into it. The people who make those decisions made their decision, and I must respect that.”
Lightbourne guided Bermuda to the Gold Cup for the first time in 2019, where they claimed a maiden win at the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua in New Jersey.
Bermuda came within a whisker of retaining their Nations League A status later that year, losing 2-1 to Mexico in Toluca after conceding late on.
“There’s a lot to be proud of,” Lightbourne said. “Hopefully, someone can take us to the next level.
“I’d like to thank the people that hired me and gave me the opportunity to coach my country.
“It was an honour and a privilege. I’d like to thank the people who worked alongside me for their hard work and dedication to help us achieve what we did.
“I’d like to thank the players we used over the years for the blood, sweat and tears they put in through the good and bad times.”
The 54-year-old, who was appointed as permanent coach of Bermuda in July 2018, said he will now take a break from coaching.
“I’m going to take a step back,” the former Stoke City forward added. “You can never say never. You never know what’s around the corner.
“I’m going to take time, reflect, and see where I go from here.”
Danté Leverock, who captained Bermuda at the Gold Cup, paid tribute to Lightbourne on Facebook, describing him “as a real players’ coach”.
Leverock wrote: “Thank you, gaffer. It was a pleasure working with you.
“Most won’t ever experience the highs and lows over the past few years, but what a journey.
“[I’m] grateful for you not only providing me the privilege of representing my country but leading my country. [I] wouldn’t trade these past few years for anything.”
Thank you, Kyle, for all the hard work you put in